Undue force? (Illustration)
Photo: Alex Kolomoisky
France claims diplomat assaulted by Israeli policeman
Paris files formal complaint with Foreign Ministry alleging member of French Consulate in Jerusalem was assaulted by local police officer. Police say case under review
The French Foreign Ministry alleged Thursday that a French diplomat was assaulted by an Israeli police officers in Jerusalem. The capital's police said it was looking into the incident.
In an official statement, the French Foreign Ministry said that diplomat, who was "carrying a diplomatic passport and driving in a vehicle with Consular plates was victim of violence on the part of an Israeli policeman in the centre of Jerusalem."
"Faced with this grave and unacceptable incident," added the statement, "The Consul General of France in Jerusalem sent an official letter of protest to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, accompanied by a detailed medical report," the French official Roman Nadal said.
He added that Paris was "demanding an enquiry to determine the exact facts. If this enquiry confirms the information, we demand that sanctions are taken against the policeman," the Foreign Ministry said.
According to a report in France's Libération Magazine, this is the second incident to involve Israeli police and French officials, when the head of the French Cultural Center in the West Bank city of Nablus "forcibly taken out of her car and abused by police officers in the outskirts of Jerusalem," after refusing a search of her car."
According to the Libération, she was advised against filing an official complaint so not to cloud Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Paris visit.
The Jerusalem Police said that Thursday's complaint was being reviewed. As for the prior incident, the police said that the diplomat "was asked to pull over and present a highway patrolman with her license and registration, but she refused.
"She also refused to step out of the vehicle, began to drive away and lightly hit the officer's leg. She was questioned on the spot and subsequently released."
Efrat Weiss contributed to this report
